ATLANTA — Atlanta’s City Council is scheduled to vote Monday on a proposal to ban everyone from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport except ticket-holding passengers, people dropping off or picking up passengers and people who work at the airport.
The reason—to improve security, and to reduce loitering by people who are experiencing homelessness.
Friday night was typical in the atrium of the world’s busiest airport—someone was making the rounds, asking for money.
But the city’s plan would ban most everyone from the airport.
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“Yes, there’s homeless people coming in, nagging, or making people feel uncomfortable,” said passenger Makhi Edgecomb, moments after the man in the atrium asked him for money.
Edgecomb said he wishes he could give something to everyone, knows he can’t, worries what might happen if he doesn’t, and wants it to stop.
“Do I feel like being a nice guy today, or do I feel like being the bad guy today?” Edgecomb said. “You have to put in some restrictions. But to close the whole airport—I feel that’s a big stretch.”
The City Council Transportation Committee approved the proposed, new access restrictions on Wednesday,after the Assistant General Manager of the Aviation Department, Michael Smith, spoke in support of it.
“We’re gonna have, 24/7, where we restrict access to the airport,” Smith said, explaining that the plan would expand the restrictions from the current overnight hours, 11 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., to around the clock.
Atlanta and the airport have worked for years to try to help people who are homeless, to help them find safe and permanent alternatives to finding shelter at the airport.
Passenger Sonya Stinsolotti, sitting in the food court just off of the atrium Friday night with her husband--while a man walked from table to table asking for money—said that keeping people out who are experiencing homelessness, by keeping all of the general public out, is an inhumane plan.
“People might need to use the restroom, or homeless people might not have anywhere else to go, and this is just a safe place for them to be sometimes,” Stinsolotti said. “I think it is an overreaction because until they do find a solution, they shouldn't close off other options.”
The city also says the new, restricted access will help cut down on crimes at the airport, such as baggage thefts.
The full city council is scheduled to vote on restricting airport access on Monday.